by Cori Bonnell

The church bells ring again at the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Saludin the former capital of the Purepecha nation. This time it is the signal for a group of women wearing embroidered dresses and fastened with long colorful braids to begin dancing in the center of the church courtyard. It is one of the many celebrations going on days before Christmas. These begin on December 16th, and many know them as the Twelve Days before Christmas. Ritual ceremonies, like this one, reflect how the Spanish influenced native culture here in Mexico. They celebrate both Catholic Saints and ancestral gods of the indigenous people. It is a wonderful site to witness.